March 2023
Michael
Clifford
,
LPN
Oncology
AdventHealth Waterman
Tavares
,
FL
United States
I woke up the next morning with a new outlook on my life, spiritually and emotionally, because one man named Mike Clifford made a huge impact on my view of the human race.
When Mike first walked into the room, he kindly introduced himself and I was a little preoccupied so I kind of inadvertently didn’t give my name. He asked me how I would like to be addressed and I apologized and told him that T was fine. He realized after going over the medication list that some of the medicines weren’t exactly working. He said he would be right back and will try to talk with the doctor. He may have wheeled his cart a foot and stopped and said he was going to take care of this right now instead of making him wait. He was amazing at conversing with the doctor, and they changed L’s medicine so it would work, and he had a comfortable night. We exchanged some life stories while he was working on L, and he was very pleasant and complimentary. He found out that my daughter and unborn grandchild were killed in a car accident, and he told me how strong he thought I was. I told him we are all stronger than we give ourselves credit for. He told me of his Army days and spoke with L about his Air Force days. They joked as different branches often do. He made sure that L received an extra pillow I had asked another person for so that he could lay comfortably. There were just so many exchanges with him that made a huge difference to us. He treated us like best friends instead of a number or a patient that most would call Mr. H. As I was leaving, he asked me if I thought that L had given up. I replied to some degree he had. He offered some very helpful tips on keep L’s spirits and outlook positive. I thanked him. He then told me that I also needed to make sure that in all of this journey, I didn’t forget to stop and also take care of myself, that I mattered too. So no, Mike didn’t come in doing back flips or fly in like Superman, but I left the hospital that night knowing that I could finally have a peaceful night of sleep because L was being cared for by the BEST. He treated me (a regular visitor) with dignity and respect. He promised to keep L comfortable and well watched over. He told me I could call thru the night and check on L if I felt I needed to. Mike did and said everything perfectly. A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. He explained the medicine that L is receiving to fight cancer better than the doctor himself did. I woke up the next morning with a new outlook on my life, spiritually and emotionally, because one man named Mike Clifford made a huge impact on my view of the human race. One man said enough to change my life. P.S. I am in favor of getting him that Superman Cape. He is truly an Angel here on Earth! I hope he continues to bless others as he has blessed us.